Starchy foods often have a bad reputation, but are you aware that there are different kinds of starch in food? One in particular, amylose, can actually help your body to maintain a healthy gut and possibly even address the root biological causes of psychological problems. Amylose is a resistant starch found in a large variety…
Barrett’s esophagus, sometimes called Barrett’s disease, is a condition in which the cells of your food pipe (esophagus) become like the cells of your intestines. Once the tissue has changed, you are more likely to develop a rare type of cancer, called esophageal adenocarcinoma. (1) However, most people with Barrett’s esophagus never get esophageal cancer,…
Pulmonary fibrosis is scarring of the lungs that can cause trouble breathing. Most cases of pulmonary fibrosis have no known cause (called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis), and it appears that these cases are on the rise. (1) Up to 28 per 100,000 people in the U.S. and up to 23 per 100,000 people in Europe are…
Esophagitis is inflammation of the esophagus (the muscular tube connecting your mouth to your stomach). It causes pain or difficulty swallowing food and pills, and can make eating very uncomfortable. When it goes untreated, esophagitis can lead to changes in the esophagus that can make it hard to swallow food without choking. (1) There are…
I had been a professional food writer — as in, it was literally my job to eat my way around the world, reporting on the most delicious foods for magazines — for half a decade, and a bona fide food lover for 25 years before my “iron stomach” began to fail me. It started with…
Many people are pretty familiar with gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD. And they probably know about the burning heartburn and painful discomfort that can come with it. Not so many people have heard of silent reflux, though. It's a closely related condition that is often misdiagnosed and left untreated. Silent reflux is incredibly common but not…
Diverticulitis is a painful and upsetting disturbance in the digestive tract, a colon disease, which can be effectively treated with the diverticulitis diet. While some individuals experience constant discomfort, others experience diverticulitis symptoms that wane and then flare up. Diet and a variety of risk factors can increase your chances of suffering from diverticulitis, especially…
Locust bean gum is a natural food additive that comes from the carob seeds of the carob tree. Similar to guar gum and gellan gum, locust bean gum is added to a variety of food products, including yogurt, cream cheese and ice cream. In food, it's used primarily as a thickening and stabilizing agent. Locust bean gum…
About 35 million Americans suffer from a sinus infection or sinusitis every year. (1) Sinusitis is an inflammation, or swelling, of the tissue lining the sinuses that leads to an infection. It can result in mucus build-up and pain. If you've ever experienced a sinus infection, then you know just how unpleasant it can be — much…
Different types of hernias develop inside different parts of the body, causing an abnormal bulging of one area into another. A hiatal hernia, also known as a hiatus hernia, forms inside the diaphragm, the muscular area that lays between the chest and the lower abdomen. It's the most common diaphragmatic hernia, with the prevalence rate of hiatal hernia is between 13 percent…
